The Reasons We Went Undercover to Uncover Crime in the Kurdish Population

A pair of Kurdish-background individuals decided to operate secretly to reveal a organization behind unlawful main street enterprises because the lawbreakers are negatively affecting the image of Kurdish people in the Britain, they say.

The two, who we are referring to as Saman and Ali, are Kurdish investigators who have both resided legally in the UK for years.

The team found that a Kurdish-linked criminal operation was operating small shops, barbershops and car washes across Britain, and sought to discover more about how it functioned and who was taking part.

Armed with hidden cameras, Ali and Saman presented themselves as Kurdish-origin asylum seekers with no authorization to work, looking to purchase and manage a convenience store from which to trade unlawful cigarettes and electronic cigarettes.

The investigators were successful to uncover how straightforward it is for a person in these conditions to start and manage a business on the main street in plain sight. Those participating, we found, pay Kurds who have British citizenship to register the operations in their names, helping to deceive the officials.

Saman and Ali also were able to secretly record one of those at the heart of the operation, who claimed that he could eliminate official fines of up to £60,000 imposed on those hiring illegal workers.

"Personally sought to contribute in exposing these illegal activities [...] to declare that they do not represent Kurdish people," states Saman, a ex- refugee applicant himself. The reporter entered the UK illegally, having fled Kurdistan - a territory that straddles the boundaries of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria but which is not internationally recognised as a country - because his safety was at danger.

The journalists admit that tensions over illegal immigration are significant in the United Kingdom and state they have both been anxious that the inquiry could intensify tensions.

But Ali states that the illegal labor "harms the whole Kurdish-origin community" and he feels obligated to "expose it [the criminal network] out into public view".

Additionally, Ali explains he was worried the reporting could be used by the extreme right.

He states this notably struck him when he realized that far-right activist a prominent activist's Unite the Kingdom march was taking place in the capital on one of the Saturdays and Sundays he was operating undercover. Banners and flags could be seen at the rally, displaying "we want our country returned".

The reporters have both been monitoring social media reaction to the inquiry from inside the Kurdish-origin community and report it has sparked strong frustration for certain individuals. One Facebook post they spotted stated: "How can we identify and find [the undercover reporters] to harm them like dogs!"

One more urged their families in Kurdistan to be harmed.

They have also seen claims that they were spies for the British authorities, and betrayers to fellow Kurds. "Both of us are not spies, and we have no intention of harming the Kurdish-origin population," Saman says. "Our aim is to reveal those who have harmed its standing. Both journalists are proud of our Kurdish-origin identity and profoundly troubled about the behavior of such individuals."

Most of those applying for asylum state they are fleeing politically motivated persecution, according to an expert from the a refugee support organization, a non-profit that helps refugees and asylum seekers in the UK.

This was the case for our undercover journalist one investigator, who, when he initially came to the UK, struggled for years. He states he had to survive on under twenty pounds a week while his asylum claim was processed.

Asylum seekers now receive approximately £49 a per week - or £9.95 if they are in shelter which includes food, according to official regulations.

"Practically stating, this is not enough to maintain a respectable life," states the expert from the the organization.

Because asylum seekers are mostly prevented from working, he believes a significant number are vulnerable to being exploited and are essentially "obligated to work in the black sector for as little as three pounds per hour".

A representative for the government department commented: "The government are unapologetic for denying refugee applicants the permission to be employed - doing so would create an motivation for individuals to travel to the UK without authorization."

Refugee applications can take multiple years to be resolved with approximately a one-third requiring more than a year, according to official figures from the end of March this year.

The reporter states being employed without authorization in a vehicle cleaning service, barbershop or convenience store would have been extremely simple to accomplish, but he informed the team he would not have done that.

However, he says that those he encountered working in unauthorized convenience stores during his work seemed "confused", notably those whose refugee application has been rejected and who were in the legal challenge.

"They spent all of their money to travel to the UK, they had their refugee application refused and now they've sacrificed their entire investment."

Ali concurs that these people seemed hopeless.

"When [they] state you're not allowed to work - but simultaneously [you]